Carbon Fiber Plenum

[RV_7A]

I had decided a while back to give it a try to make my own carbon fiber plenum and here are the results so far.

Pages 03-08 through 03-19 show most all of the baffling and the carbon lay up.

http://www.jeffsrv-7a.com/ENGINE.htm

-Jeff

 

[gmcjetpilot]

Jealous

Nice shop with tile floor, dry wall? Hummm is that your living room? haha

Seriously what was the cost of the material, I guess it was a few bucks and why not fiberglass?
G

 

[dmeloche]

I like how you used to upper cowling as a tool to make the fiberglass mold. Very clever!

 

[rv6builder48138]

Why a plenum?

I'm an engine ignoramus, what's the function of a plenum? Does it replace baffles, or supplement them?

 

[RV_7A]

Its 4 layers total, 1st and 2nd layer is glass, 3rd and 4th layer is carbon. I guess you could say its my shop with tile floor however I spend most of my time at home in it so I guess it could be considered my "living room" The upper plenum replaces the use of most of the rubber seals that you would use if you didn't go the with the covered top. Its nothing more than a cleaner looking setup and its not as prone to leaks.

-Jeff

 

[sprucemoose]

Jeff, it looks very nice. I'm curious how you plan to transition from the cowl inlets to the plenum?

 

[RV_7A]

I'll post pics when I get it completed. Obviously it will require more custom fabrication but it will still use at least 2 strips of rubber strips, the lower one will be just like Vans has you use on the lower inlet floor. There will also be another strip that will be attached to the upper ramp and lay inside the upper edge of the plenum.

 

[osxuser]

Looks good, but from my limited experience with that, you might be running wayyy too cool when everything is said and done. You might have to block a bit of your air intakes to compensate for it. I know a guy with a glasair I RG that is running about half the frontal area as you with a VERY similar setup. (He used S-glass instead of carbon fiber though).

 

[sprucemoose]

That's the way I did it, on my aluminim plenum. I was curious if you had come up with a different way.

 

[RV_7A]

Hey man, keep it simple if it works.

-Jeff

 

[rstisser]

Jeff- It looks like the inside of your inlets are wider than the outside. The cowl inlets are more or less the same width all the way aross. Are you going to narrow the plenum inlets somehow? Randy

 

[RV_7A]

You'll have to wait to see the pictures of my progress. Its impossible to describe the transition here. I described it the best way I could above. A picture will tell a thousand words...

-Jeff

 

[gmcjetpilot]

Here is a collage of trasnsitions I collected

The top seal is not as obvious, but you can assume a foam seal or baffle seal, forgoing the stock "ramp" that is usually bonded inside the top part of the cowl inlet. George